KNIGHT
by Patcat
Summary: A story.
1. Chapter 1

Yes, yes, I know. I have three other stories to finish. But a plot bunny bit me, and you know what big, sharp teeth they have.

CHAPTER ONE

The little boy sat on his bed. He leaned back against a large, stuffed white cat with black marks—he constantly had to tell people that the cat was a snow leopard and not a tiger--and a large, picture book was propped carefully on his lap. The book's cover was bright red and gold, and its pages covered in equally vividly colored illustrations. It was the little boy's favorite book—actually, one of his favorite possessions—and it showed signs of his devotion. The cover and back held a few stains and dents, the binding was a bit loose, and the edges were rough. Some pages had scribbles and smudges. The boy's mom had apologized for the damages to the man who gave the book. "It's ok," the man said. "I'm just glad he likes it."

The boy closely examined his favorite picture in the book. In it, a dark haired and dark eyed knight rode a large, magnificent black horse. Both horse and rider wore glistening gold armor, and the knight wielded a shining silver sword. A close look revealed that dents marked the armor, the sword carried scratches, and bandages with small red spots covered the knight's neck and hands. The knight and steed galloped up a mountain towards a blazing castle. They pushed through a crowd of terrified people fleeing the castle. Looming behind the flames was the dark shadow of some horrible monster, made all the more terrible by the fact the picture revealed only its glowing red eyes. The boy thought the knight was wonderfully brave, really brave, because the boy knew from the story that the knight was really scared of fires and monsters. The man who gave the little boy the book explained that the bravest people were often the ones who were most afraid of the things they fought. The little boy also knew that the knight was hurt from past battles and had very good reasons not to fight this monster and that the people running from the castle had ignored and insulted the knight in the past. But he was a knight, and knights were brave and fought monsters. It was what they did.

The little boy hadn't seen the man who'd given him the book for some time, and he missed the man. He used to see the man a lot, especially when the man came with the boy's aunt. His aunt hadn't been around to see him very much lately, and when she did come the boy saw that she wasn't as happy as she used to be. She still smiled at him and gave him big hugs, but her green eyes—which the boy just started to notice looked a lot like his—often seemed sad and far away. The boy wondered if his aunt was sad because the man wasn't around any more. He knew he was sad because of it. He missed the stories the man told him, and the way the man swung him up on his tall, broad shoulders so the boy could see for what seemed forever and easily shoot a basketball into a net. And he missed the way the man's big, dark, sad eyes would brighten and his face open into a smile when he saw him.

The boy studied the knight's eyes and thought that they looked something like the man's eyes. He wondered if the man noticed that when he bought the book.

END CHAPTER ONE


	2. Chapter 2

There is no actual evidence for the name of Alex's nephew. Another fanfic used Nate, and I liked the name for him. I figure Nate is about five, and I hope I'm not writing him too old.

CHAPTER TWO

The boy knew that the man he missed was, like his aunt and some of his uncles and his grandfather, a policeman. One day, when he was looking at the book, he asked his mother if policemen were like knights.

"Yes," his mother answered. 

Later the boy asked his aunt if she and her friend thought they were knights. She gave him a puzzled look, but saw he was carrying his book and understood the question. "We may be," she said. "Especially Bobby."

"Maybe," the little boy thought as he stared at the book. "Bobby is fighting dragons…maybe that's why he hasn't been around…"

"Nate!" the boy's mother called. "Aunt Alex is here!"

The boy slammed the book shut and leaped from the bed. He rushed down the stairs. His aunt, engaged in a deep conversation with his mother, stood at the bottom of the stairs. Nate lurched to a stop on the third step from the bottom. Aunt Alex looked tired and worried. 

"Don't worry," he heard her tell his mother. "I'm fine…My career is fine…It's not like I ever wanted to be part of the Brass…"

"But, Lexie," his mother said. "You know what they did to Dad…You'll always have to watch your back."

"I've got plenty of people to help me with that," Aunt Alex said quietly. Her face lit up when she saw her nephew. "Nate! Ready to go see the dinosaurs?"

"Yea!" Nate said, and all thoughts of knights and policemen and adult troubles disappeared from his mind.

His mother laughed. "He's been ready since you promised this trip a week ago."

Alex grinned. "Did you get any sleep last night, Nate?"

"Some," the boy said. "But it was hard."

"He's like you," Nate's mom said. "Once he's asleep, nothing wakes him up."

As they headed out the door and to Alex's car, Nate managed to contain some of his excitement. The prospect of going to the museum in the city and seeing the dinosaurs was wonderful enough, but he loved to go anywhere with Aunt Alex. It wasn't just that she let him drink root beer and have candy if he was good—and sometimes even if he wasn't so good—but that he felt she was special and that she seemed to feel the same about him.

"Bobby told me about some of the different dinosaurs," Nate stated from the back seat. 

Alex felt a stab of pain at Nate's mention of Bobby. Several minutes of quiet passed, and she glanced in the mirror back at the little boy. "Ok back there?"

"Aunt Alex…Is Bobby mad at me?"

Her heart turned to lead. "Oh, no, Nate. He isn't mad at you at all. It's just…Bobby has a lot troubles right now. But he's not upset with you. When I talk to him, he always asks about you and hopes you're doing good. He wants to see you…It's just hard for him now."

Nate considered her words as he examined his favorite stuffed animal, a black and white horse he'd named Oreo. "Is Bobby still sad because his mommy went to heaven?"

Alex took a deep breath. She loved Nate deeply, loved that he was a bright and funny and curious kid, but she hated these sorts of questions. And she'd sworn to herself that she would always answer his questions as honestly and completely as she could. "Yes, he is."

Nate frowned. "But if she's in heaven…And if she's not sick any more…Shouldn't Bobby be happy?"

Alex wished that Bobby was here to handle these questions. He always seemed to be able to answer them the right way, explaining the problem without frightening or condescending to a child. "Well, you've got a point," she said slowly. "But it's hard for Bobby. He saw his Mommy every week. He misses her."

Nate looked at Oreo as if there might be an answer in the horse's big black eyes. Alex glanced at him. At moments like these, she and Nate's parents couldn't tell if the boy was mulling over something or preparing a plea for a toy. Alex returned her attention to maneuvering her car into the Major Case parking garage.

"This isn't the museum," Nate said with disappointment.

"I know," Alex answered as she swiped her permit. "I'm going to park my car here and we can take a cab to the museum."

Nate's eyes grew wide. "A cab! I love to ride in cabs!" He thought for a moment. "This is where you and Bobby work. Will we see Bobby?"

"No," Alex said, unable to keep a touch of sadness from her voice. "He's not at work right now."

"If he's not at work, maybe he could come with us," Nate said hopefully.

Alex concentrated on parking the car to give her a moment to remove the lump in her throat. "I don't think so," she said when she could trust her voice. "Remember I told you that he got hurt…Bobby is still getting better."

She was getting Nate out of his car seat when her cell phone rang. "That's odd," Alex said as she reached for it. "That's Bobby's ring…"

"Tell him I want to talk to him," Nate declared.

Alex flipped open her phone. "Bobby…"

"Eames…I'm sorry to bother you." His voice was soft and hesitant.

"You're not bothering me." She placed a finger on her lips to tell Nate to be quiet.

"I…I realized I…I hadn't talked to you for a while…I'm sorry." The tone of his voice seemed to be apologizing for his existence.

"It's all right, Bobby." She desperately wanted to reach him, and a thought came to her. "I'm with Nate…We're going to the Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaurs."

"Oh, Eames…I…Didn't mean to interrupt…"

"Tell him I want to talk to him," Nate insisted.

"Don't worry, Bobby…But you have to talk to Nate," Alex said. Before Bobby could object, she handed the phone to Nate. "Bobby," she said to the boy.

Nate dropped Oreo and eagerly grabbed the phone. "Bobby!" he said excitedly. "Aunt Alex and me…We're going to ride in a cab to the Dinosaur Museum…You should come too! You know all about the dinosaurs!"

Alex smiled. Her nephew said exactly what she hoped he would. She watched as Nate listened impatiently to Bobby.

"But, Bobby, Aunt Alex will want you to come. She always likes it when you come with us. It'll be more fun if you come," Nate said firmly. A frown appeared on the boy's face. "Bobby…Don't you want to come?" he asked plaintively. "Did I make you mad? Don't you want to see me?"

"Gotcha," Alex thought. "If Bobby can resist that, he's fallen so low that I don't know how to reach him."

"Bobby." Nate now arguing with as much force as his years allowed. "We want you to come. It'll be fun. You should come. Ok?" There was a definite command in his voice.

"Here," the boy said after a moment. He held the phone out to Alex. "Tell Bobby to come…" He pulled the phone back as he remembered something. "Please, Bobby," Nate said. "Please come."

END CHAPTER TWO


	3. Chapter 3

I've not abandoned SAVING GRACES and GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. But plot bunnies must be fed!

CHAPTER THREE

Bobby might have been able to resist Alex's appeals, but Nate's were another matter.

"You put him up to this," he accused Alex mildly after Nate handed the phone back to her.

"No," Alex replied calmly. "He misses you. He wants you to come. Heck, Bobby…" She glanced back at Nate, who deeply concentrated on retrieving Oreo. "I miss you…I want you to come." She heard a soft, choked sound over the phone.

"Bobby come," Nate declared, briefly abandoning his efforts to rescue his horse.

"You hear that," Alex said. "The prince has spoken."

"You…You're sure that," Bobby said hesitantly.

"Positive," Alex said quickly. "Actually, I'd welcome the help, Bobby. You're the one who knows all about the dinosaurs. I won't be able to answer half of Nate's questions. And…" Her voice grew gentle. "We both want to see you."

His defenses fell. "All right…Can I meet you in about a half hour at the statue of Theodore Roosevelt?"

Alex didn't need to ask whether Bobby had plans for the day. She knew he served his suspension in a haze, lurching to his counseling sessions, engaging in sporadic searches for Donnie, but usually alternating between trying not to think and thinking too much.

"Perfect," Alex said. "We'll meet you there."

"Bobby's coming?" Nate asked excitedly as Alex shut her phone.

"Yes," Alex answered.

Nate thought Aunt Alex looked very happy, almost as happy as he felt. Even the cab ride and his excitement at being in the city couldn't keep the boy from talking about Bobby.

"Can we go by the library with the lions in front of it?" Nate asked. "It's one of Bobby's favorite places."

"Could we?" Alex asked the driver.

"Of course," the driver said cheerfully. "That is also one of my daughter's favorite places. But I must warn you that it will make the trip a little longer and cost more."

"That's all right," Alex said. "It's worth it…It's a special day."

"My friend Bobby is really smart," Nate declared. "Is your daughter really smart?"

For the rest of the drive, Nate and the driver shared stories about how smart Bobby and the driver's daughter were. Nate revealed several facts about the New York Public Library, including the names of the two lions that stood guard outside its doors, and Alex struggled not to laugh at her nephew's pronouncements. Even with the slight detour, the driver's deft maneuvering brought Alex and Nate to the museum well within their half hour schedule.

"He's a wonderful boy," the driver said as Alex paid him. "Your son?"

Alex smiled. Enough people had made the mistake that it no longer bothered her, if it ever had. "No…my nephew. But thank you for the compliment."

Freed from the cab, Nate scanned the sidewalk and steps near the statue. "I don't see him," he said anxiously. "I know this is the right statue. Bobby showed it to me one time when we came here. President Roosevelt…He wasn't president when he was a Rough Rider and wore this uniform…"

"I know we're at the right place, Nate," Alex said. "Bobby will be here. He's never broken a promise to me. Or anyone else that I know of." Even as she reassured Nate, Alex feared that the Bobby she knew might not be the Bobby who was struggling with so much.

"There he is!" Nate shouted. The boy pointed down the sidewalk. "There's Bobby! I knew he'd come! He promised! I knew he'd come!"

Alex saw Bobby moving stiffly towards them. Nate pulled at her hand. He desperately wanted to run to Bobby.

"Nate." Alex knelt next to him. "Remember what I told you about Bobby being hurt?"

Nate turned to her, his eyes shining with excitement. They grew serious. "Yea…"

"Just be careful when you run up to him," Alex said. "He might not be able to swing you up. That's not because he doesn't want to. Do you understand?"

Nate nodded his head. "Yes, Aunt Alex."

"Ok." Alex looked up. Bobby was close enough that she could make out his face. He looked placid and calm, but Alex knew that expression. It was Bobby's look when he was trying to distance himself from what was around him. She'd seen that look many times during her partnership with Bobby. In the months leading up to his suspension, she occasionally thought it was the only expression she saw on his face.

"Ok, Nate," Alex said. "Go to him."

Nate took off with the speed of a race horse leaving the starting gate. "Bobby!"

Bobby's expression changed from his guarded mask to a face full of affection. He bent to greet Nate, and the little boy flung himself into Bobby's arms.

"Hey, Nate," Bobby said. "It's good to see you."

Nate looked up at Bobby. He knew something was wrong. Bobby always laughed with him. The Bobby Nate knew always swung him up and deposited him on his huge shoulders. Bobby always told him a joke. This Bobby's eyes were warm, but they were also terribly sad.

"I've missed you," Nate said. "Are you ok, Bobby?"

"I've missed you too, Nate," Bobby said, his voice just loud enough for the boy to hear over the crowd and traffic noise. "I'm ok."

"If you missed me, why didn't you come to see me?" Nate asked.

Bobby straightened and ran one of his large hands across his neck. "I should have done that…It's complicated…"

"Oh," Nate said knowingly. "Grown-up stuff."

"Yea," Bobby said with a sad smile. "Grown-up stuff…"

"Look," Alex said as she walked up to them. "My two favorite guys…"

"Hello, Eames," Bobby said.

"Bobby," Nate asked. "Why do you call Aunt Alex Eames?"

"Well," Bobby said. "I can't call her Aunt Alex…"

"But why don't you call her Alex?" the boy insisted.

"Because we work together, Nate," Alex said, coming to Bobby's rescue.

"But you call him Bobby," Nate said.

Alex had nothing to say to that, but Bobby came to her rescue.

"She calls me Bobby when she's happy with me," he said. "When she calls me Goren, I know I'm in trouble."

"Does she call you Goren a lot?" Nate asked.

Bobby glanced at Alex. "Not as much as she should…Hey, I thought we were going to see the dinosaurs…"

"Yea!" Nate shouted and forgot all about names.

Alex and Bobby held Nate's hands as they headed into the museum. They looked very much like the other parents and children making their way into the building, but they didn't speak. There was too much to say and, the museum's entrance wasn't the place to say it. It might have been an uncomfortable day but for Nate's presence. The little boy admired the dinosaur skeletons and listened intently as Bobby read the descriptions of where and how the fossils were found. Bobby occasionally offered a few comments of his own, and for the few of Nate's questions that he couldn't answer, he turned to one of the museum's guides. Alex was not a great fan of paleontology, but she was fascinated by Nate and Bobby's interest. They moved happily through the galleries until Nate announced he was hungry, and Alex realized her own stomach was making growling noises. They headed to the cafeteria where Nate insisted on eating the dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets. Alex was equally insistent that he eat some fruit and vegetables.

"No!" Nate said. "I want to eat like a dinosaur!"

Alex looked as exasperated as she felt.

"What kind of dinosaur?" Bobby asked calmly. "A lot of them…like the triceratops you like so much…ate nothing but fruit and vegetables."

"Really?" Nate asked.

"Really," Bobby said. "They're called herbivores. The ones like the T-Rex that ate nothing be meat are called carnivores. And the ones who ate a little bit of everything are called omnivores."

"What are you, Bobby?" Nate asked.

"Oh, he's an omnivore," Alex laughed.

"Most humans are," Bobby said.

"All right," Nate said. "I'll eat apples and broccoli…But only if Bobby does too and I get root beer."

Bobby ate some apples and broccoli, but it was, Alex noted, all that he ate. Even Nate, excitedly biting off dinosaur heads, noticed that Bobby wasn't eating much.

"Are you saving room for ice cream later?" the boy asked.

"Uh…no…I'm just not hungry," Bobby said.

They moved lowly through the museum, letting Nate's interests guide them. It wasn't the most systematic or efficient way to see the exhibits, but it was certainly the most enjoyable. Nate's energy and interest held up for a long time, and Alex sensed that Bobby began to flag before her nephew did.

"C'mon," she said as they left a gallery depicting the life of early man. "If we're going to get ice cream, we need to go now."

"But I want to go to the space museum," Nate said plaintively, and Alex feared a meltdown might be approaching.

"You know," Bobby said calmly. "I'd love to do that too, Nate. But we really need to have a whole day just for that museum. It won't be open much longer today…And we wouldn't get to see much…"

Nate looked up at Bobby. "You promise to come with me?"

Bobby laid his hand over his heart. "I promise. The only thing I can think of that would be better than going to see dinosaurs with you is going to the space museum with you." He leaned over to Nate. "Besides, we have to get ice cream," he whispered.

"Ok," Nate said. "But does this museum have armor?"

"You mean like knights wore?" Bobby asked. "No, but I know about some that do. We can go to those after the space museum."

"Good…I want to see armor like the stuff in the book you gave me," Nate declared.

"It's his favorite book," Alex told Bobby. "He looks at it all the time."

"Read it," Nate said. "I READ it all the time."

"He has it memorized," Alex whispered to Bobby.

Bobby smiled. "You'll have to read it to me sometime, Nate."

They stopped at the museum's café. The coffee and ice cream were overpriced, but good, and the room not crowded in the late afternoon. Bobby again avoided food, opting for a cup of coffee. Alex noted this but said nothing, and Nate was too involved with his ice cream cone to notice anything. Bobby, a sad smile on his face, watched the boy. When Nate's ice cream teetered and threatened to topple, Alex tried to help him.

"Here, Nate," she said with a smile. She used several napkins to help wipe up the ice cream. "Could you help him, Bobby…I need to get some water…"

Bobby carefully and gently wiped ice cream from Nate's face.

"Too bad ice cream's messy," he said genially. "You lose too much of it."

"Yea," Nate agreed. "How come you're not having any?"

"I…I'm not hungry," Bobby said. As he reached to wipe Nate's face, the sleeves of his shirt rose up to reveal his wrists.

"Did your arms get hurt?" Nate asked, pointing to the fading marks on Bobby's wrists. "Aunt Alex's arms looked like that when she got hurt."

Bobby froze.

"Bobby…What's wrong? Are you ok?" Nate was scared and confused.

Alex walked to the table and placed a cup of water on the table. "This should help us with any spills…" She saw Nate's fear. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," Bobby blurted out and staggered to his feet. He lurched away.

END CHAPTER THREE


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

A stunned Alex watched Bobby stumble away. She turned to Nate, who was equally shocked. The little boy's face began to crumble, and Alex quickly sat next to him.

"Nate," she said as calmly as she could. "Take it easy…Don't cry…Please…Tell me what happened…"

"I…I don't know…" Nate's eyes filled with tears. "I…I did something….I don't know…"

Alex gently touched the boy's arm. "I'm sure you didn't do anything," she said reassuringly. "What were you and Bobby talking about?"

Nate gulped some air. "I…I saw the marks on his arm," he said. "And I said they looked liked…" He stopped. He knew Aunt Alex didn't like to talk about the time she got hurt.

"It's ok, Nate," she said softly. "You can talk to me."

"Like when you got hurt," he said in a rush.

Alex felt as if she'd been hit in the stomach. "Nate," she thought. "Think of Nate…This isn't about you…Right now, it isn't even about Bobby…" She moved closer to the boy.

"Nate," she said as calmly as she could. "It wasn't your fault…Bobby just remembered some bad things that happened to me…and him…And he thinks he's responsible for what happened to me…It makes him feel really bad…"

Nate sniffed. Alex pulled a tissue from her pocket—she'd learned to carry them when she was with Nate—and held it so he could blow his nose.

"Bobby's not mad at me?" Nate asked.

Alex ruffled his hair. "No…If he's mad at anyone, it's himself."

Nate's face screwed up in thought. "How do you get mad at yourself?"

A long shadow appeared on the table. Alex turned to see an ashen faced Bobby.

"You do something stupid," he said softly. "And then you know it…like what I just did." He avoided Alex's eyes. "I'm sorry, Nate." He sat down next to Nate and across from Alex. "I freaked out a little…It wasn't your fault at all. It was mine. I'm not mad at you. I've never been mad at you or upset with you. I don't think I ever could be." Bobby looked at Nate gravely. "We ok?"

"Yea," Nate said, his mind trying to process everything Bobby said. The boy looked at his ice cream cone in dismay. "It's melted," he said sadly.

"That's my fault," Bobby said. "I distracted you. I'll tell you what…I was going to get a root beer float…I'll get a big one, and you can share it with me."

Nate beamed. The only thing he liked better than ice cream or root beer was a combination of the two. "That'd be great!"

"You ok?" Alex asked Bobby, who still didn't meet her eyes.

"I…I'm better…I need to go get that float…" Bobby smiled at Nate. "I'll be right back."

Nate watched Bobby walk away. "Is Bobby ok?"

"I wish I knew." Alex thought. She smiled at Nate. She felt pleased that her nephew was able to look beyond his own world to care about Bobby. "Yea," she said. "I think he is now."

When Bobby returned with the float, Alex noted that he consumed very little of it. Most of it went into Nate, who was soon in the midst of a major sugar buzz.

"Ok," Alex said as she managed to wipe off the boy's face. "You gave him all that sugar…How do you plan to get him calmed down?"

Bobby smiled. "You always told me, Eames, that one of the pleasures of taking care of Nate was filling him up with sugar, shaking him up, and giving him back to his parents."

Alex sighed. "Do I have to point out that you're giving him back to me?"

"Can't handle your own medicine, uh?" Bobby waved one of his large paws towards the park across the street. "It's warm enough and still early…We can take him to the park and let him run it off."

"The park! Yea!" Nate shouted and began to jump up and down. "Please…Aunt Alex…"

"Ok…Ok," Alex laughed. "But you gotta calm down…"

The little boy calmed, or at least tried to, immediately.

The weather was cool, but the combination of his coat and his exertions meant Nate was in no danger of getting cold. He insisted that Bobby push him on the swings, which Bobby cheerfully did until Alex insisted he stop. She didn't tell Nate or Bobby that she feared Bobby's arms might suffer, but she sensed Bobby knew her reasons.

Alex and Bobby sat on a bench and kept a close watch on Nate as he swung wildly on a jungle gym.

"He's fearless," Bobby said admiringly.

"Yea," Alex agreed. "Drive us crazy sometimes."

Bobby smiled, but a deep sadness filled his eyes. Alex watched him disappear inside his head.

"Hey," she said softly. "Don't go away…I haven't seen you for a while, and I've missed you."

He stared at his hand. "I…I'm sorry…It's just…I didn't think being seen with me would be good for you right now."

"Bobby…"

He shook his head. "And…I didn't know what to say to you…"

Nate swung happily from a bar on the gym. "So I had to use Nate to get you to come…"

"He's a great kid," Bobby said wistfully. He studied Nate. "I…I…just want to protect him."

"Nate told me," Alex said hesitantly. "What made you run away…"

Bobby blinked, and for a moment she feared she'd pushed too hard.

"But you came back," she said, hoping she could reach him.

"Is…Is he ok?" Bobby asked. "I didn't…I'd never want to hurt or scare him…God knows there's enough things out there…"

"He's fine," Alex reassured him. "He…thought he did something…"

Bobby winced.

"I explained to him," Alex continued. "How you think you're responsible for what happened to me."

Bobby watched Nate happily swing from one bar of the gym to another. "What…what does he know about what happened to you?" His voice was very soft and he couldn't look at her.

"A bad lady hurt me. She can't hurt me anymore…or anyone else…because you caught her."

"Bobby!" Nate yelled. "Aunt Alex! Watch what I can do!" He crawled triumphantly over the top of the jungle gym.

"Very impressive!" Alex called, and Bobby forced a smile and waved.

"And…and does he know anything about me?" Bobby asked hesitantly.

"I told him you were sad because of your mom…And that you got hurt trying to help someone."

"I…guess that's the most positive spin to put on it." Bobby took a deep breath. "When I was there…at Tate…in that place…"

Alex held her breath. Bobby hadn't told her any of the details of what had happened to him. What she knew came from doctors and nurses and the dry, terrible words of the official report.

"I…I kept thinking about you…when I could think." His voice was so low Alex could barely hear him over the park's noises. "About how terrible it must have been for you to be in that awful place for so many hours…To hear that poor girl's screams…"

"You've never talked to me about it," Alex said. Neither of them looked at the other. They concentrated on watching Nate.

"You…you've never talked to me about what happened to you," Bobby said tentatively. He waited for her explosion.

To his surprise, Alex considered his words. "You're right," she finally said. "I've talked to the psychiatrist…I've told you it wasn't your fault…For that good that did…" She smiled wearily. "But we've never really talked about what happened to either of us."

Bobby shifted on the bench. "I…I read the reports…Your statement…But there's a lot not there…"

Alex leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand. "Yea….But…I was talking to the doctor…And you got me to do that and keep doing it…And you were always there when I needed you…until…"

"Until I wasn't there," Bobby said.

"Until you couldn't be there," she gently corrected him. "I just wish you would've noticed I was there for you."

"I…I did…It's just…I didn't know how…" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"We…we need to talk about this stuff," Alex said.

Bobby looked across the park to watch Nate. "It…I…I was so alone…"

"Yea," Alex said. "I was too…After…After she killed that poor girl…And she left…I was alone…" Alex also concentrated on Nate. She thought that if she could avoid looking directly at Bobby, she might be able to speak about what happened to her, and maybe listen to him talk about what happened to him.

"This…this is so strange," she said.

"That we haven't been able to talk about all of this," Bobby said. "And out here…with Nate…This happy time and place…And we're talking…Or at least sort of talking…about the worst…worst things that have happened to us…"

"Why is that?" Alex watched as Nate yawned.

"We…we feel safe…Or at least as safe as we can…as we have for a while," Bobby explained.

Nate looped over to them. He smiled and reached up to hug Bobby. The little boy half-climbed, was half-lifted by Bobby, into Bobby's lap. Nate curled up against Bobby's chest.

"Hey, buddy," Bobby said warmly. "You tired?"

Nate yawned. "Not tired."

Alex smiled. "He'll fall asleep soon.

"Will not," Nate murmured. "Want to stay with Bobby."

"Where are you parked?" Bobby asked softly. "I can carry him there."

Alex's heart sank. When she parked her car at Major Case that morning, she hadn't thought of an encounter with Bobby that might force him to get near the squad room.

"We…we came in a cab," she said.

Bobby was puzzled by Alex's reticence until he realized the reason behind it. "You came from Major Case. You parked your car there."

"Don't worry," Alex said quickly. "We can catch another cab back…"

"I've got a car near here," Bobby said calmly. "I can drive you back."

"Bobby…You don't have to…"

"Alex," he said patiently. "Nate is out…I can just take him to the car, and you can sit in the back with him. If you wake him up getting in and out of the car, he'll be cranky. It's rush hour, and it'll be a pain getting a cab. And I'd welcome the extra time with both of you."

"But what if we run into…"

Bobby shrugged as much as he could. "So what? When I come back I'll have to face everyone. You have to face them every day."

Alex wavered. It would be much easier to manage Nate with Bobby's help, and she welcomed the chance to have a few more minutes with him. "Are you sure you feel up to carrying him?"

"No problem…He's light." Bobby stood carefully. "Although he is dead weight right now.

Nate yawned. "Don't want to go. Want to stay with Bobby."

"You will for a little while longer," Bobby said. "But you need to get home. Your Mom and Dad will miss you."

"You should come stay with us," Nate mumbled into Bobby's shoulder.

Alex and Bobby smiled.

"I'm afraid they wouldn't have enough room for my stuff," Bobby said.

"You can come for a little while," Nate insisted. "So I can read my book to you."

They reached Bobby's car, and Alex and Bobby carefully sat Nate in the back seat.

"You're sure you're ok with this?" Alex asked Bobby.

"Yea," Bobby said. "It's not like I've been banned from the place. As long as we don't run into the Chief of Detective, things'll be fine. What about you? Sure you want to be seen with the outcast?"

"I'd rather be seen with you than the Commissioner," Alex declared as she sat next to Nate.

It was the middle of rush hour, and Bobby drove carefully in the heavy traffic. Nate slept deeply and even the frequent stops and starts and traffic noises failed to wake him. At a stop sign, Bobby glanced in the rearview mirror.

"He sleeps like you," he said softly.

"And just when have you noticed my sleep habits?" Alex asked with a smile.

"On stakeouts…You…you fight it," Bobby said. "But when you finally fall asleep…You sleep." He concentrated on the road, embarrassed that he had revealed that he studied Alex's sleep patterns. "Truth is…I wish I could sleep like that," he said, more to himself than to Alex.

Alex looked at the back of Bobby's head. She desperately wanted to offer him some comfort.

A cell phone's chirping broke the car's silence.

"Probably my sister wanting to know what I've done with Nate," Alex said as she retrieved her phone. She was surprised to see Captain Ross' number displayed. For a brief moment, Alex considered ignoring the call, but her sense of duty and curiosity prevailed.

"Yes, Captain," she said, as much to warn Bobby as to acknowledge Ross. She saw Bobby tilt his head in her direction.

"Eames," Ross said. "Don't worry…I know you have the day…This isn't a call out…"

Alex relaxed. "I'm glad to hear that, especially when I'm with my nephew right now."

"I understand why you said you couldn't be disturbed today…Same with my boys," Ross said. "Someone saw your car in the garage."

"Yea…I parked it there this morning," Alex said warily.

"Well, I hope you don't need it right away," Ross said. "We had a threat about a possible escape attempt…And the source said a vehicle was going to be planted in the garage…It's probably a complete lie…A snitch trying to get in good with the cops…But we have to take it seriously…"

"So the parking garage is off limits for a while?" Alex saw that Bobby registered every bit of information he heard.

"Yes…I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Do you have a way to get around?"

"Yes, Captain," she said, looking at Bobby. "We do."

END CHAPTER FOUR


	5. Chapter 5

I've made Alex's sister and brother-in-law Catholic. It didn't seem a great stretch to me.

CHAPTER FIVE

Bobby was happy to drive Nate and Alex to the boy's home. Alex thought that, for all of his word to the contrary, Bobby hadn't looked forward to going anywhere near Major Case. She knew that she was relieved that they didn't have to go there. Nate, oblivious to adult worries, slept curled up as close to his Aunt as his seatbelt allowed. Bobby drove carefully through the rush hour traffic.

"He's out," Bobby said.

Alex smiled at the sleeping boy. "Well, he still usually takes a nap in the afternoon…and we ran him pretty ragged."

"Ran all of us pretty ragged," Bobby said. He concentrated on the road. "Uh…Thank you for getting me to come…I had a really good time…I needed this."

"You're welcome," Alex said warmly. "I needed it too." She looked down at Nate. "I know Nate really wanted to see you…And so did I."

Several miles went by before Bobby spoke.

"That wasn't fair, you know…Using a five-year-old to blackmail me."

"Yea," Alex agreed. "But it worked."

Nate stirred as Bobby turned on the street where the boy's family lived. As Bobby pulled the car into the drive, Nate sat up and blinked.

"Where are we?" he asked and rubbed his eyes.

"Your house," Alex said as she released his seatbelt.

"Can you come in, Bobby?" Nate asked eagerly.

"Uh…I don't…" Bobby said.

"Please, Bobby," the boy pleaded. "I want to read the book to you."

"It's late, Nate," Alex said. "And you've had a really big day."

"It's not that late," Nate said. "And it won't take me long to read the story…Please…"

Bobby turned to Alex. "Your sister and brother-in-law…Would it be all right?"

Alex knew what he really asked. The subject of Bobby divided her family, and her kidnapping by Jo Gage deepened those divisions.

"They like you," she said. "They're on our side."

Bobby hesitated and wondered what Alex meant by "our side".

"I promise," Nate said solemnly. "I'll go to sleep right after I read the story." His lower lip trembled. "Don't you want to hear me read to you, Bobby?"

The boy's words propelled Bobby out of the car and to the door by where Nate sat. He opened the door and helped Nate scramble out. Bobby looked across the car's roof at Alex, who carried Nate's backpack.

"You sure you haven't told him what to say?" Bobby asked.

"Nope." Alex grinned, "Here, Nate…You don't want to forget Oreo and your other stuff."

"Oreo?" Bobby asked.

Nate pulled the stuffed animal from his pack.

"My horse," he said. "I named him Oreo 'cause he's black and white and he looks like one, and they're one of my favorite cookies, and he's sweet…"

Nate maintained a running commentary about Oreo as they walked up to the door. Nate's mother appeared in it.

"'Bout time you got home," she said happily. "Did you drive your Aunt crazy?"

"Mommy!" Nate rushed up to his mother. "We saw all kinds of dinosaurs…and I had dinosaur shaped chicken for lunch…and ice cream and root beer…and Bobby came!"

His mother laughed as she hugged Nate. "Calm down, buddy. Take your stuff upstairs to your room, and I'll see if Aunt Alex and Bobby want to have pizza with us."

Nate spun to face Alex and Bobby. "You'll stay?"

Alex looked at Bobby. His face was that placid mask again. "You hungry?" she asked.

"No…not really…But I promised Nate…And I know you want to stay." He gave her a sad, quick smile. "If it's ok with your sister, it's ok with me."

"I have to read my book to Bobby," Nate said as his mother tried to get him inside the house. "I can't…"

"Pizza first," his mother said. "Then the book…and then bed…"

Nate was about to plead his case for reading first when Bobby stepped behind him.

"Nate," he said. "You need to tell your Mom and Dad about the dinosaurs we saw…You can do that while we have pizza."

Nate found no flaws in this logic. As he devoured his pizza—occasionally taking particularly savage bites to demonstrate how some dinosaurs ate—he talked about what he'd seen at the museum. Bobby clearly enjoyed Nate's take on the day, but Alex saw that he barely nibbled at his slice of pizza, and that he sat warily as if he expected some attack. But, aside from Nate's father's friendly query of "How you doing, Bobby?", all of the attention centered on Nate.

"This," the boy announced as he seized a pepperoni. "Is what carnie toors eat."

"Carnivores," Bobby gently corrected him.

"Oh, right," Nate said. "Carnivores. And this…" He seized a tomato. "Is what…what herbivores eat." He looked at Bobby for confirmation. Bobby nodded.

"And omnivores eat everything!" Nate chomped on his pizza slice. "I'm an omnivore!"

"Nate," his mother said gently but firmly. "Remember. No talking with your mouth full."

Nate swallowed his food. "Sorry…I got excited."

"Who told you all of this?" his father asked, both amused and impressed by Nate's knowledge and enthusiasm.

"Bobby," Nate declared. "He knows a lot of stuff."

Bobby reddened, and Alex thought he looked as if he wished he could disappear under the table.

"Nate is really good at remembering things," Bobby mumbled.

"All right," Alex's sister said. "You've had a big day…Time to wash and brush your teeth and get your pajamas on."

"I promised Bobby I'd read to him," Nate said. His mother looked at Bobby.

"He's right," Bobby said. "If it's ok."

"All right," Nate's mom said. "But only after you get your pajamas on…and after you read you go to sleep."

"Ok," Nate agreed. He drained his milk and started to rush from the table. He remembered his manners just in time. "Please excuse me," he said gravely, and turned to roar up the stairs.

"I suspect this is the fastest he's ever agreed to get ready for bed," Nate's father said. "We should have you around more often, Bobby."

Bobby stared at the floor and wondered if Nate's parents would let him anywhere near their son if they knew who he really was.

"I think Nate was happier to see Bobby than he was to see the dinosaurs," Alex smiled. "He was a big help today. I'm glad he called and Nate talked him into coming."

"You spoil him, Lexie," her sister said happily.

"Damn straight," Alex said. "That's my job."

Bobby watched Alex talk with Nate's parents. He had the awful, familiar sensation of watching a scene he'd never experienced and probably never would. Looking around the bright, warm kitchen, he sensed that Nate would never know the feeling of going to bed and hungry and realizing that there would be no food in his home the next day or the terrible loneliness of being in your home by yourself or the fear of hearing your bedroom door open and being terrified of who might be approaching your bed.

Bobby was suddenly aware the talk had stopped, and he wondered if someone had said something to him.

"Nate's a great kid," he said. It was true, and he guessed the statement could fit whatever the direction the conversation had taken. "I had a great time with him today."

He had, to his great relief, said the right thing. Alex and her sister and her brother-in-law beamed at him.

"Bobby!" Nate called from upstairs. "I'm ready! Hurry! I want to read to you!"

"Please make sure that he brushed his teeth and washed his face and hands?" Alex's sister asked.

"I will," Bobby said as he stood. "I won't let him start reading until he passes inspection."

As Bobby climbed the stairs, his body protested slightly at his treatment of it. He was drawn to the photos lining the wall. "So," he thought. "That's what a family looks like."

"Bobby!" Nate stood at the top of the stairs. "Hurry! I want to read all of the story to you."

"Did you wash your face and hands and brush your teeth?" Bobby asked as he reached the top stair.

"Yes!" Nate said. He seized Bobby's hand and eagerly pulled him towards his room.

Nate flopped on his bed and leaned back against his carefully arranged pillows. Bobby helped him pull the sheet and blankets around him. Nate placed a pillow on his lap to help support the book.

"Aunt Alex showed me how to do this," he said.

"That's what I do when I read in bed," Bobby said. "It helps protect the book."

"And keeps your arms from getting tired," Nate said. "My Mommy and Daddy and Aunt Alex read me lots of stories, but this is my favorite. Even more than the Wild Things and the Velvet Rabbit."

"I like those stories, too," Bobby said. He remembered his mother sitting on his bed and reading both of those stories to him when he was a little younger than Nate, before everything went wrong.

"Bobby? Are you ok? You look sad."

Bobby looked at Nate, and was again struck by how much the boy's eyes looked like Alex's.

"I'm ok, Nate," he said. "Hey, where should I sit? I don't think I can sit in the chairs at your little table…"

"Here." Nate put his hand on the bed next to him. "You can see the pictures."

Bobby carefully perched on the bed. Nate began to recite in a clear voice. He wasn't exactly reading, but he was clearly making a connection between the symbols on the page and the words that he'd memorized. Bobby had a foggy memory of when the words on a page began to make sense to him. He had some idea iit had happened when he was seated next to his mother.

"Bobby," Nate said gravely. "Please pay attention."

"Sorry," Bobby replied with equal gravity.

As he continued, Nate moved closer to Bobby until he was leaning on Bobby as much as he rested against his pillows. One of the boy's elbows poked at Bobby's still bruised stomach, but Bobby ignored the discomfort. Nate occasionally pointed out some point in the text or a picture, and Bobby intently studied each item. Nate finished the story, and yawned widely.

"Very well read, Nate," Bobby said. He took the book from the boy's hands and placed it on the bedside table. "I enjoyed that very much. But I think you should try to go to sleep now."

Nate shook his head. "I need to say my prayers. And I have to say good night to Aunt Alex."

Alex appeared in the door. "Bobby and I will listen to you say your prayers. But after that you gotta go to sleep." She walked up to the bed. "I was listening to you read. You did great."

She leaned over Bobby to give Nate a kiss, and her silky hair brushed across Bobby's face. He breathed in, and his head swam. As she pulled away from Nate, Alex's face brushed against Bobby's cheek. For a moment, she feared she might tumble on top of him. She stood shakily.

"Your cheeks are red, Aunt Alex," Nate commented, and Alex wished her nephew wasn't quite so observant. "And so are yours, Bobby."

"You…You're good at noticing things," Bobby said as he avoided looking directly at Alex.

"Maybe I'll be a detective like you and Aunt Alex when I grow up," Nate said. "My Mommy said there aren't any real knights like the one in the book any more, but when I asked she said policemen are a lot like them."

"Well, firemen may be too," Bobby said, relieved that Nate wasn't pursuing exactly why Alex and Bobby's cheeks were red.

Nate yawned.

"C'mon," Alex said. "Time for you to say your prayers."

"Ok…In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…" Nate managed to get his hands in the general areas of his head, chest, and shoulders. "Now I lay me down to sleep…"

The familiar words played in Bobby's head. "I wish," he thought. "I wish I could believe like that…I wish I could protect him…I wish I could tell Alex…I wish I could protect her…"

Nate finished the old prayer, and moved on to more personal requests. "God bless Mommy and Daddy and Grandpa and Grandma…" He yawned. "Thank you for letting me see the dinosaurs and the ice cream and the root beer…Thank you for having Bobby come…Thank you for Aunt Alex…"

Bobby and Alex smiled.

"And please bless Aunt Alex and Bobby and keep them safe and keep them from being so sad. Amen." Nate yawned again and fell back against his pillows.

"Thank you, Nate," Bobby said softly. "I appreciate the prayer. I need all the help I can get."

"Thank you for coming, Bobby," Nate said sleepily. "You promise we can go to the space museum and see the museum with the armor?"

"Yea…but it may be a while…"

"But you promise…" Nate insisted.

"I promise."

Alex tucked Nate in. She kissed the boy on the forehead. "Good night, Nate. Love you."

"Thank you, Aunt Alex…I had a great time…Thank you for letting Bobby come…Love you too…"

Alex and Bobby were at the door when Nate spoke. "Bobby? Are you like the knight in the story?"

Puzzled, Bobby turned. "Uh…I don't think so…"

"I think you are," Nate declared. "You look like him. And even when you're hurt or people are mad at you, you do what you do. Just like the knight."

Bobby rubbed the back of his neck. Alex touched his arm. "I think you're right, Nate," she said softly. "Bobby is a lot like that knight." She wasn't sure if the boy heard her, but her words were meant as much if not more for Bobby.

They said quick farewells to Nate's Mom and Dad, with both promising to stay in touch and see Nate again soon.

"I'm sorry," Bobby said as they stepped into his car. "Did you want to stay?"

Alex shook her head. "I'm pretty tired, Bobby…I think everyone is…You ok?

"I'm fine. You think you can get your car out of the garage yet?"

"I'll find out."

The detective she reached at Major Case informed Alex the tip had been a waste of time and the garage was clear. Bobby started to head into the city.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Alex asked. "It's a lot of driving and…"

"I don't mind," Bobby said. "And it's late enough I don't think we'll run into anyone."

They sat in silence, neither sure of what to say, for several miles. They were in Manhattan when Alex spoke.

"Nate's right, you know."

"About what?" Bobby said. "Dinosaur eating habits?"

Alex hesitated for a moment. It seemed that Bobby had at least partially opened a door. She decided to gently push to see if she could open it a bit more.

"You are like that knight," she said. "You're brave. You fight even when you're afraid. You fight why you're hurt. You fight when no one fights by your side. You fight when you don't have a shield or sword. You fight for people who don't deserve, even for people who've hurt you." She spoke calmly, pleased that she won the battle to keep her voice under control.

Bobby gripped the wheel tightly. Several blocks passed before he spoke.

"The knights of the middle ages," he said in a tight voice. "Weren't great paragons of morality. Most were mercenaries. They took part in the Crusades, which were a mess. Camelot and King Arthur are myths…stories…"

"I heard Nate read the story, Bobby," Alex said gently. "Don't confuse me with facts. He was right. The knight in the story was a good, brave man, and you're just like him."

Bobby's jaw clenched and unclenched. "That…That's not why I gave him the book," he said after several moments. "I didn't see any connection at all…Still don't…"

"You know," Alex said thoughtfully. "I didn't pay a lot of attention in lit classes…They were required…But I remember something about how all those knights in those stories and poems were wounded…How they were honored for how they carried them…"

Bobby said nothing for several moments. "We…We're almost at Major Case…" he said.

"You don't have to…"

"I'll take you to your car," he declared.

As Bobby predicted, the garage was devoid of people at the late hour. Alex was relieved, and, for all of his indifference, Bobby shared her feeling. When she left his car, he stepped out as well.

"See," she laughed. "Chivalry. Like the knight."

A sad smile played at the corners of his mouth. "More like I'll worry about you if I don't see you get in your car and drive out of here," he said softly. He stared down a long row of cars. "It…it was a long time…before I could come down here…"

Alex remembered Ross' description of Bobby's state when they expected to find her body when he opened the trunk of her car. It was one of the rare moments when neither Bobby nor a family member was at her side in the hospital. Ross had reluctantly revealed a few details of the case only after Alex threatened to leave her bed and find Bobby.

"That must have been horrible for you," she said, and she wondered why they were only able to talk about what had happened to each of them in the strangest of places.

"Not nearly as horrible as what happened to you," he said and stared at his feet. "Maybe…maybe there is something wrong with me…"

"Bobby," she warned.

"I mean…I…I had some idea of how you'd worry…How could I put you through that…" He rocked back and forth.

"Hey," Alex said sharply. She desperately wanted to touch him, but she knew that even at this late hour the One Police Plaza parking garage wasn't the safest place for two Third Grade Detectives to physically comfort each other. "That was bad for me. But it wasn't nearly as bad as what happened to you."

Bobby raised a fist to his mouth. For the first time since they'd entered the garage, he stared at her. Alex felt a strange triumph. He hadn't shut the door. She'd had to push it open a bit, but he hadn't blocked it or, worse, slammed it shut in her face.

"I…I still don't think we're anywhere close to even," he said. "But I understand what you're saying."

"You want to get a drink…or some coffee?" Alex asked.

"Thank you…But you probably need to get home and get some rest," Bobby said. "No, Alex," he said as she started to protest. "You know it's true. You probably have to work tomorrow…But…" He left the door open. "Tomorrow…After you get off work…Maybe a drink or dinner…And…if you want…We can talk some more…"

"Promise?"

"Promise…just like I promised Nate." Bobby smiled. "And knights always keep their word."

"Very well, Sir Robert." Alex gave a mock bow. "I'll await your attendance upon me tomorrow."

As Alex drove away, she smiled and waved at Bobby. He followed her car until she turned in the direction of her home. He whispered as her car disappeared into traffic.

"Good night, my lady."

END


End file.
